National Republican., 1887-04-14
Ireland for the Irish.


The citizens Of Washington are asked to at
tend meeting to- might, to express their SYM
patby for Ireland and the Irish, and protest
against the passage OF the coercion bill now
pending in the British parliament. For the
eighty serenh time in It's history, the parlia-
ment OF the United Kingdom Is considering
8 bill to coerce the Irish into submission to
English tyranny. Eightysir times these
bills have become laws and been enforced,
and there is little doubt but that, in the face
of the protests of.sthe civilized world, the
eighty-seventh will become law, yet as It
lie one Of the most oppressive, so 1t will be
the last.
That our citizens may know precisely
what the English government proposes to
dc-how 1t intends to govern Ireland-we
give the coercion bill now under considera-
tion;
!. Magistrates may examine witnesses on
oath, even in cases where no porsonis charged
before them with the committal of the crime
which is the subject of inquiry.
.. The jury system is abolished altogether
for certain classes of crime punishable by a
limited term OF imprisonment. In other
summary Jurisdiction, and may impose sen.
,ences not exceeding six months hard labor
for any of the following olenses Criminal
conspiracy. boycottiug, riotlng, ofTenses under
the Whiteboy acts, assaulting officers of the
law taking forcible possession, or melting to
any of the foregoing olIenses..
3. In jury trials the venue may be changed
on the certificate of the attorney general that
a fairer trial can be had In some other place
In Ireland. Aprisoner however, Is TO have
right to appeal against any proposed change
ofvenue.
4. In jury trials either the attorney general
or the prisoner may demand special jury.
8. In cases Of murder, attempt at murder,
aggravated crimes of violence arson, or break
ing or firing into dwellings the attorney gen.
erals for England and Ireland together may
certify that q fair trial can be had in Eng and,
the state TO pay expenses of carrying
prisoner, his witnesses, solicitor, and counsel
10 England.
q. These enactments are only to apply to
such districts OF Ireland as may be proclaimed
by the lord lieutenant.
7. The lord lieutenant In council will have
power 10 declare it an ofiense against the net
to have anything to do with an association
formed for the purpose OF commission of
commit crime, or Of melting to intimidation.
OF Of interfering with the administration Of
TIE law or the maintenance of order.
8. 4 he act is to be permanent.
This is the measure of justice which
EDglishmen propose for lrishmen. What
DO American ireemen think OF it9 Wnat
can they think OF this oppression Of the
Oldest civilization Of western Europe?
This destruction OF Q people who had
schools and colleges when the progenltors
OF their oppressors were living in caves
and dressed in skins. For 1t is fact that
ireland was a civilized and organized ma.
tion long before England had emerged
from the rudest forms Of barbarism, aud
that from Ireland the Christian religion
was first brought to England.
II may not be inappropriate at this time
TO give our readers few established facts
in the history Of this wonderful race Of
men who have succeeded In impressing
their personality on every country save
their own.
Dscardipg fiction and tradition, we find
uIdispute9 authority showing that during
the reign of Ollav Fola, 900 years before
Christ, the Irish had parliament which
digested the laws Of the country and they
were called "the Psalter of Tara" Ollav
formed schools Of philosophy, astronomy,
medicine, poetry, and history at Tara. Ia.
der Hugonoy the Great, B. c. 800, the coun.
fry was divided into twenty five admluis
fTative districts, besides the four histori sal
divisions of Leinster, Ulster, Munster, and
Connaught.
Cormac, A. d. 800, enlarged the schools
still hourishing, established more than a
thousand years before by Ollav Fola, and
added to the numbe; Of military and law
schools.
While men like those were encouraging
learning and the arts of peace, the great
warriors Of the race were spreading Its re-
nown In arms. Crntharn crossed tht
channel and aided the Picts in driving back
the Roman legions, leaving his namC
embslmed IN the rude, strong poetry of tht
Scottish mountains. Conn gained for him
self the surname Of Keadeahagh, or "ConT
OF the Hundred Battles" Mai, of the min,
hostages, founder OF the O'Nellls, fought il
England, Scotland, and France, and wa
killed In the arms Of victory on the
banks Of the Loire; and Dalthi, pushing con
quests through Britain ana Glul, was
only checked In his career by the lnsur
mountable Alps, aud perished in their
midst.
The great apostle Of the Irish came abou
450 A, D., and IN the forty three years o
his wonderful career not only Chrlstiauizs,
the people, but established schools whert
the purest doctrines of the church wert
taught and one Of which, that at Armagh
ranked among the best schools Of Europe
Tie priests from ireland were the first tt
preach Christianity on the adjacent island
crossing over from the northern part, aut
making converts In the central parts before
the advent OF the priests from Rome in tht
southern portion.
Before the advent Of Christianity settle
ments had been made in Ireland from both
sCotlEd and England, and in 6iS Egefreid,
HE pagan King Of Northumberland, In,
V0ded Christian Ireland, raYagiDg churches